To Serve and Protect
by EmoHeadEshny
Summary: Rated M for sexual content. This story is about my OC, Amber Kellisha, who is a Servant to the powerful Kuchiki Clan before the Turn back the Pendulum Arc. A fateful meeting inspires Amber to become strong, in order to protect her beloved Clan. This will be a 50,000 story, there will be spoilers for Bleach cannon, please don't read it if you don't know the Bleach sotry well. R&R!


**A/N: Heya, this is my first fan fiction! Currently it only really involves my OC, but eventually real Bleach characters will be heavily featured in the story line, so please bear with me until then! There won't be anything like spoilers for a very long time, because this story is set in the past. Please Read and review, constructive criticism is much appreciated!**

Eyes demurely lowered to the floor, Amber scrubbed, mindful of the harsh gaze of her fellow maids. It was hard to work under their gaze, it was so distracting, but the task she was performing was crucially important, if a little repetitive. The long stretching halls throughout the Kuchiki manor needed frequent polishing in order to gleam _just so_; a fact that had been impressed upon her by her superiors. After all, the home of the Family had to look its best at all times, and any laxness on her part would provoke a punishment she would rather do without. Amber could not afford to displease the other maids any further. Amber redoubled her efforts.

Aged twenty, young for a soul of Seiretei, Amber had been deemed fit to begin household duties in the Family's manor, an honour she did not deserve. Amber was fully aware that it was only because of her father's rank that she held this position, a maid in the House of Kuchiki. As head of the Kellisha clan, her father, Tadao, had secured her a position in the cleaning staff of the House, something that most Kellishas' could only dream of. Worse, her fellow maids knew it; she was serving not because she deserved it, but because of her father. Even now, diligently scrubbing the wooden floor, Amber could feel the glares, feel the disapproval, and it almost crushed her, a feeling of-

A change in pressure on the floor caused her to hesitate, made her breath catch in her throat. But when she sensed a largely suppressed _reiryoku_approaching, all hesitation fled. Heart racing beneath her plain maids' uniform, Amber, perhaps slightly faster than her fellow maids, dropped her sponge, pressed herself against the nearest wall, and, dropping to her knees, lowered her head to the floor in supplication. She closed her eyes tightly, hearing the soft thuds of her fellow maids abandoning their tasks and flattening themselves to the floor as she had done. Her arms she extended slightly in front of her, wrists exposed by the slits in her uniform, leaving herself open to any blow her masters saw fit to give.

That much she knew; whoever was approaching the hall was a member of the House. Their _reiryoku_, massively suppressed as though was, was still far greater than any maids', and there was something holy about it, something she had never felt before from any other Soul. The Family member was close enough that she could hear their footsteps; they were soft and regal. Amber's heart swelled, her emotions threatening to overcome her, her need to glimpse this passing God was so strong. It was almost impossible not to look up and see the House Member approaching. She steeled herself, knowing that she would shame her family for generations if she looked upon a Kuchiki without permission; being a princess of Kellisha couldn't change that.

The footsteps were close now, she heard the maid next to her gasp quietly in pleasure. Perhaps the glory of this close proximity to a Kuchiki had overcome her. The noise was pronounced in the empty hallway. Amber's lips twisted in consternation; she would report that to her father, no Kuchiki should be subject to such an ungracious noise, especially when passing through their own home. The footsteps passed, and even without looking, Amber recognised the rich, glorious _reiryoku_. The footsteps drew nearer, and then passed onwards towards the next room, leaving a trace of an echo. The whole episode had taken less than a minute, but it left Amber's mouth dry, and her feet unsteady. They had been in the presence of Kuchiki Rukia, _Hime_ of the Kuchiki clan. It took all of Amber's strength not to weep in gratitude.

''Well, ladies, get to work. Let this honour remind us why we serve, and let us serve well.'' It was Natsue, head maid, she had already abandoned the position of supplication and picked up her sponge, ready to scrub, and, raising one eyebrow, waited for the rest of them to do the same.

Swaying on her feet, heart exultant, Amber found her own sponge, and scrubbed.

**XXX**

Later that day, as Amber looked out on one of the humble gardens of her own family, she felt a change overcome her, in regards to Kuchiki Rukia _Hime_. It was so strange, an emotion she struggled to define, but it felt huge to her young, inexperienced mind. When she placed it, embarrassment flooded her, reddening her cheeks.

A Princess of the Kellisha clan she might be, but, even so, she had no right to feel anything towards any Kuchiki, let alone their Princess, except for gratitude and humility. Her clan had served the Kuchiki for countless generations; its sole purpose was to better the lives of the Kuchiki, in any way possible. It was blatantly obvious that the Kuchiki were better than any mere soul, their _reiryoku _reserves were huge, their _reiatsu _was always so spectacularly vibrant, their poise exceptional, their beauty undeniable, their importance in Seiretei... Well, they were one of the Four Great Houses, which spoke volumes of their skill, as did the position of the House Head, Captain of the 6th Division. The Kuchiki were Gods, they were giants walking the world, and the mere thought of serving them had always filled Amber with joy.

Until now. Suddenly, after this irrevocable change had come over her, servitude no longer seemed enough. She had felt the presence of a high-ranking Kuchiki for the first time today, and it had calmly swept away every one of her teachings. _To serve the House is not merely appropriate, is the greatest honour a Kellisha can expect in life_, was one of those teachings, _Serve in every aspect of your life; may your manner, clothes and heart reflect the pride of the House, _was another. These teachings had been impressed upon her since she could first understand words. How irrelevant they seemed now. Serving the Kuchiki was an honour, certainly. But to protect them was more than that. It should be her sworn duty, surely? The very thought of that wonderful, holy soul she had felt today being harmed...

Her heart raced at the thought. The _Hime_ had been everything Amber had been raised to believe she would be. Her _reiryoku _had been gloriously thick. It was extremely powerful but it had carried a sense of benevolence. The _Hime _had galvanised Amber into action, simply with her presence. Amber had felt her glory, her purity, her innate righteousness. Amber could no longer Serve as a maid. She _had _to keep the _Hime_ safe.

She had heard the stories whispered in the halls of her ancestral mansion. Stories of assassination attempts and Guards who has gone missing and were never found. She knew that there were those in the Spirit World who believed the _Hime _to be unworthy of rule, those who didn't want her to take the throne of Kuchiki. Amber had to protect her from any threat she could. The _Hime_ needed every devoted Servant she could get.

Amber sighed, just a little, snapping her focus back to the garden, with the cherry blossoms, planted in emulation of the current House Head, in full bloom. The moon hung overhead, seeming so close to her, she could surely reach out and touch it...

The things that perhaps used to be important to her were now insignificant. The teachings of servitude, this garden, the moon. She must discard them now, and, inappropriate as they were, embrace her new feelings. She could never serve as a maid again, she would never accept that. She would do far more for the Family than that. As soon as possible, she would begin her training for the Guard.

**End Note: So, this story takes place before the Turn Back the Pendulum Arc. The only real difference between this and the cannon Bleach is that Byakuya becomes Clan Head of the Kuchiki a bit earlier than in the manga, and consequently Rukia joins the clan sooner too. If you have any questions about the story, please PM me! Remember, R/R please!**


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